Prisons 'black hole'

The West Australian Department of Corrective Services has revealed a $32 million black hole in its budget.

In May, the department secured enough funding for 3900 inmates, but the prison population has blown out to about 4500.

The Acting Assistant Commissioner of Corporate Support, Mark Kuzminski, told a parliamentarty committee, the department would make a new funding submission in the Mid-Year Review to secure the additional $32 million.

The department also told the committee, it was planning to increase the state's prison capacity by 1600 beds over the next four years by building two new prisons and expanding existing facilities.